Being out of a team before the season had even started. This seemed to be the destiny that befell Jack Doohan. The son of World Motorcycle 500 class champion Mick, already before joining the Alpine F1 line-up, was marked down as being for replacement and in the end that was what happened. After 7 GPs in F1 and zero points, he was relegated to the role of reserve, and starting with the Imola round in his place will be Franco Colpinto.
The Argentine, who in 2024 made a mid-championship debut at Williams after the ousting of Logan Sargeant, was on the shopping list for several managers, among them even Flavio Briatore who, needless to say, will now take over the reins of the Enstone-based squad since the current team principal Oliver Oakes has just been removed from office.
Many observers might be wondering how Doohan Sr. reacted to such news. Well, without too many words, but only with an Instagram story and a photo with a comparison between what his son did and what the 'veteran' Pierre Gasly has achieved. The only difference that you actually notice are one less retirement for the Frenchman and a points finish in Bahrain that the rookie missed instead.